Types of Bulk Wine Containers
Bulk wine containers are largely classified according to the material used to manufacture them and the amount of wine they can carry.
Tank
Tanks are mostly utilized in large wineries. These are containers for storing and processing huge amounts of wine. Fermentation, aging, and blending occur inside these tanks made from stainless steel, glass, and other materials. The ideal wine storage temperature is attained thanks to the temperature control systems incorporated into these tanks, which preserve the wine's quality over long periods.
ISO Containers
These containers are intended for international transportation. Made in accordance with the relevant UN regulations and standards, the containers are perfect for transporting large wine quantities by road, sea, and rail. The design made from stainless steel inside ensures that the wine stays untainted throughout the voyage. It is also a kind of container that can be shipped and used as a storage container.
Flexitank
A flexitank is a huge, flexible, and non-metal packaging mainly used for shipping large liquid bulk products, like wines, using containers made from stainless steel. Designed from industrial-grade polyethylene and the so-called nylon-reinforced, flexible tanks are lightweight and perfect for shipment or transport by sea. Because of their flexibility, they can be used to ship a wide variety of liquids other than just wine, like juices, oils, and more.
Still, due to their design, they can also be suitable for the sensitive nature of wine.
Wooden Cask
When most people hear containers for bulk wines, they do not easily conclude that wooden casks are containers for bulk wines. Casks made from oak or other wood have been conventionally used to age wine for many years. These improve the wine as they add flavor, such as vanilla and spice, which gives the wine an extremely good taste. Even though smaller casks are more convenient for storage and aging, larger casks can hold bulk wine.
Glass Bottles
Wine bottling is done in glass bottles for the most part. While glass bottles are ideal for marketing and selling wine at the retail level, they are not practical as bulk containers. Glass is fragile and cannot hold up to the rigors of transportation and storage on a large scale. That is not to say they are not important; glass bottles are crucial for the final presentation of the commodity. This goes to show that the bulk shipment is better done in containers other than glass bottles to eliminate additional costs and the risk of breakages.
Design of Bulk Wine Containers
The design of containers for bulk wine is intended to retain its quality during storage and transportation. Several factors are worth noting:
- Materials: Containers can be manufactured in such materials as stainless steel, flexitank, and wooden cask. Stainless steel is generally preferred for its longevity, ease of cleaning, and resistance to corrosion. It is also chemically inert, meaning it will not react with wine. That's why most tanks, bottles, and casks for bulk wine storage and transportation are made of stainless steel. On the other hand, flexitanks and ISO containers are made from reinforced polyethylene, a highly durable and flexible material, and suitable for the movement of wines in large lots. Wood casks, however, are conventional storage methods that have stood the test of time and are primarily used for aging old wine varieties. Unlike flexitanks and ISO containers, these are of limited uses because they age wines through infusion and filtration.
- Size: The size of the container used varies with how much wine it carries. Tanks can be small or large, but usually large. ISO containers and flexitanks are comparatively standardized, as most of them are made for and fit into shipping containers that are commonly used worldwide.
- Airtight Sealing: Wines are quite sensitive to oxygen. Thus, bulk wine containers are constructed to be airtight sealed. An airtight seal is vital to avoid oxidation, which may spoil the wine by changing its taste and preventing longer storage. Stainless steel tanks, ISO containers, and flexitanks all have airtight seals.
- Temperature Control: Some vessels are also fitted with temperature control mechanisms. These mechanisms are extremely important when transporting wine in geographical zones where the weather can be said to be extreme. An example of such a vessel with temperature control features is a stainless steel tank, which is often equipped with a heating or cooling system.
- Portability: ISO containers and flexitanks are designed to easily stack and transport by various means, including ships, trucks, and trains. This design consideration makes them highly adaptable for international shipping.
- Ventilation: Flexitanks come with ventilated structures that allow the wine to breathe during the transportation period. This is not often the same as oxidation because it is designed to allow slow breathing of wine contained in aircrafts to avoid the effects of internal pressure which might cause an increased amount of wine to be wasted due to breakages. It helps maintain the quality without accelerating the aging process too much.
Scenarios for Using Bulk Wine Containers
- International Shipping: Flexitanks and ISO containers are the most widely used containers in such shipments. International shipping as by air, sea, or land can be effectively done using these containers since they are designed to meet international shipping standards.
- Domestic Transportation: In large shipments whereby wines are transported from producers to bottling plants or distributors in a given country, ISO containers and flexitanks are commonly used for this movement, be it by a truck or a train.
- Long-Term Storage: Wines that are set to stay for long periods need to be kept in a stable environment that will not affect their quality. Stainless steel tanks are mostly used, especially in wineries where the wine is kept in a storage facility for aging or awaiting bottling.
- Wineries: This is an area where tanks are found the most. Large and small wineries use the tanks to hold, age, and mix huge amounts of wine. The tank is used in the wine production process, including fermentation and aging.
- Vineyards: These are places where wood casks are commonly used most in wine production. Casks are traditionally used during the aging process to infuse the flavor of wood into the wine. Old wine, in particular, improves the quality of wine through storage in wooden casks.
- Exportation: Companies dealing with the export of wines typically use ISO containers and flexitanks for transportation by sea. Such containers have been standardized in size, making it convenient to load them onto cargo ships.
- Transportation by Truck: Flexitanks are ideal for bulk wine shipment within a country by road. These tanks are first secured in truck trailers before they are on the road to hit their destination.
- Emergency Supplies: Flexitanks with wine and other containers can also serve as practical storage options in case of a shortage of wine. To avoid this, flexitanks can be temporarily used as backup storage at a facility or warehouse if there is a shortage of the actual storage tanks.
Specification & Maintenance of Bulk Wine Containers
Maintenance of Containers
- Flexitanks: During the use of flexitanks, no special maintenance is required due to their nature. However, prior and post usage flexitanks should be inspected for effectiveness. Carrying a tank with old wine residue in it can easily spoil a new shipment of wine. That is why cleaning or refusing them is mandatory.
- Stainless Steel Tanks: These are the most easily maintained containers. They should be cleaned after each use to remove any deposited wine residue that might have contaminated the next batch processed or stored in the tank. The best cleaning method of stainless steel tanks is to use steam or chemical disinfectants.
- ISO Containers: Not much cleaning work is required for ISO containers apart from a few essentials. It is ideal to clean these containers before and after each usage to avoid the container being contaminated with whatever the wine is transported with. The best cleaning method is dry ice blasting or the use of approved chemicals.
- Wooden Casks: Casks should not be cleaned using chemicals. The best way to clean wooden casks is through steam or dry ice. This is especially effective for older casks that might have wine residue inside that would pose a threat to contamination. Also, using steam or dry ice prevents the wood from being damaged.
- Glass Bottles: Glass bottles are easily maintained. Just wash them traditionally with water and soap to avoid the wine inside the container being contaminated with dross.
How to Choose the Right Container for Bulk Wine
Choosing the right container purely depends on such factors as logistic cost, container availability, and destination country regulations.
- Cost: Flexitanks are the least expensive option in terms of logistics. They are light, and you will not be charged for their weights as you will be paid for ISO containers. For short distances, however, road transportation in tankers may be cheaper than containers for bulk wine. But for long distances or by sea, it is cheaper to use containers.
- Regulations: There are various laws concerning wines in different countries. Some countries have restrictions on the kinds of containers used in transportation. Others require the wine to be contained in a container made of material like ISO containers -approved stainless steel. There are also countries that demand that wine be transported in a tank that has been fitted with a temperature control system.
- Closure: Wines commonly stored in stainless steel tanks do not have closure. That’s why closure is done during bottling and even when using ISO containers and flexitanks - they use screw caps, corks, or other types of closures.
- Container Size: The size of the container used has to be appropriate to measure the bulk amount of wine to be transported. Flexitanks are available in several sizes, ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 liters. ISO containers are standardized and offer a capacity of about 26,000 liters. Tanks may come in small or big sizes, but mostly big, ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 liters.
Q & A
Q. What is a bulk wine container?
A: Bulk wine container is a flexible or rigid package or container in which large volumes of liquid wine are transported or stored. Commonly used packages or containers for such a purpose include flexitanks, ISO containers, stainless steel tanks, and wooden casks.
Q. What are the types of bulk wine containers?
A: There are several kinds of bulk containers for wine: flexitanks are flexible and designed to fit into shipping containers, ISO containers are made for international shipping, stainless steel tanks used in wineries maintain purity, and wooden casks imported from oak trees provide aging and flavor.
Q. How is the container for bulk wine maintained?
A: Common maintenance techniques for maintaining these containers are cleaning flexitanks after use, using steam or chemicals on stainless steel tanks, and using dry ice or steam on wooden casks, while standard cleaning methods are used on glass bottles.
Q. What is the practical function of flexitanks used in bulk wine containers?
The tanks are flexible and created from strong industrial polymers. They are relatively easy and cheap to transport wine in large quantities. They are quite light and can be folded for easy storage when not in use. Also, they are cheaper than some of the mentioned alternatives.
Q. What holds bulk wine containers like flexitanks and ISO containers to be airtight?
ISO containers are fitted with rubber gaskets that ensure the container is airtight, while flexitank performs the same function using a unique design of the bladder.
